Although Playa Langosta is only 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) south of Tamarindo, this pristine tan sand beach has a completely different vibe. While Tamarindo is known for a rowdy nightlife, a crowded surf and more conveniences, Langosta has just a handful of hotels, rentals and businesses lining the shore.
Because of this, Langosta is an excellent beach for those looking for a more laid back and quieter atmosphere. Enjoy long uninterrupted walks on the beach during sunset, check out the many tide pools and rocks for ocean critters or simply lay down a towel and soak in the sun.
How to get to Langosta
The closest airport to Langosta is the Tamarindo local airport, only 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) away. Liberia International Airport is the closest international airport and is about an hour and half drive to Langosta on well paved roads.
You can walk to Langosta from Tamarindo through the back roads as the two beaches are not connected. Driving is 5 minutes, walking takes around 30 minutes.
Parking
There isn’t really a main public entrance to Langosta, but you can park on the road by the Occidental resort and walk through a small section of the forest to the beach. You don’t need a 4×4 to get to Langosta.
Location
Playa Langosta is 70 kilometers (44 miles) from Liberia International Airport and 250 kilometers (155 miles) from San Jose International Airport. Marino Las Baulas National Park lies to the south of Langosta Beach and Tamarindo is to the north.
Langosta beach is in the Guanacaste province.
Shared Shuttle
You can also take a shared shuttle to a hotel in Langosta, or private shuttle if you’re staying at a vacation rental with a big group. Check with Interbus for shared shuttles.
Langosta Beach
Playa Langosta is a long beach with a crescent shape and soft tan sand. You can find great surfing waves at the mouth of the estuary. However, due to the many rocks and strong currents, it is not the best for relaxed swimming.
Langosta Weather
With sunny days, hot weather and clear skies for most of the year, Langosta obviously has excellent weather. It experiences typical dry and rainy tropical seasons with dry season being from beginning of December to end of April and rainy season from beginning of May to end of November.
Average temperatures in dry season are mid 90s and high 80s – low 90s (low to mid 30s Celsius) in rainy season. The hottest months are March and April and the rainiest months are September and October.
Playa Langosta Hotels
Langosta doesn’t have a ton of accommodation options but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. As this area is a luxury, high end community, you will find high end hotels, resorts and vacation rentals with million dollar ocean views.
Occidental Langosta (Tamarindo):This is an all-inclusive resort that has several restaurants including buffets, a children’s area, spa and pool. It is beachfront so you are only steps away from the sand and can watch the sunset going down from the property.
Cala Luna: This is one of the nicest boutique hotels you’ll find in the area. Beachfront, has a spa, luxury hotel rooms, restaurant. Perfect for those looking for a quieter place to stay with a condo feel.
Tamarindo Sunshine: 6 apartments and guest houses. Nice, quiet and homey place to stay.
For more options, make sure to check Airbnb or VRBO for vacation home rentals like Sueno de Mar and Casa Sueca.
Things to Do in Langosta
Langosta is a great place to stay as a homebase in Guanacaste. It’s close to some of the best beaches in Guanacaste, national parks, wildlife refuges and other natural attractions. Since it’s so close to Tamarindo, you can enjoy a fun night out in town and come back to your quiet luxury hotel room.
Some of the best things to do in Langosta is surfing, relaxing at the beach, estuary boat/kayak ride and watching the sunset. Great day trips from Langosta are Rincon de la Vieja National Park, Rio Celeste, Guachipelin one day adventure tour, Playas del Coco boat tour, Conchal beach, Ostional Wildlife Refuge, Nosara and Diamante Adventure Park.
You can also get a day pass at Langosta Beach Club (reservations required) to relax at their spa, bar, restaurant and private cabanas.
You can read more things to do in our post “things to do in Tamarindo“.
Should You Stay at Tamarindo or Langosta?
If you’re choosing between Tamarindo or Langosta for your vacation, here are some things that will help make your decision.
If you’re looking for a party or are a family who wants to be near everything, then Tamarindo is the better choice. There are only a few restaurants and one small market in Langosta and everything is on the “high end” (which equals more expensive). Tamarindo has way more options for food, groceries, nightlife, surf shops, etc.
Langosta is much more serene and peaceful which makes it a popular place for honeymooners looking for the absolute privacy and intimacy or seniors who want quiet and don’t want to be around kids or young adults.
You can also try to get the best of both worlds by staying at a hotel like Capitan Suizo that’s near the south end of Tamarindo, closer to Langosta.
You’re on a budget
If you are on a budget, stay in Tamarindo. Langosta is known as the “luxury” community in the area and all you really will find are million dollar mansions, high end hotels and fine dining options.
Since Tamarindo is a proper town, you will find more options for cheap lodging and food.
It is recommended to rent a car in Langosta, not necessary for Tamarindo
Since Langosta doesn’t have much, we recommend to rent a car so you can easily go back and forth between Tamarindo. Otherwise, it’s a hot and dusty walk (around 30 minutes). If you go out at night, you should take a taxi or drive for safety, don’t walk. You can also rent a golf cart.
If you stay in Tamarindo, you don’t have to have a car. Thankfully, you can find some very nice upscale and quiet hotels in the back of Tamarindo town so you don’t have to be in the middle of the hustle and bustle.
Langosta has the only all-inclusive resort between the two
There aren’t any all-inclusive resorts in Tamarindo, the Occidental Langosta is the only one in the area.
Basically, it depends on what you’re looking for. You should stay in Tamarindo if you want to be closer to restaurants, shops and more nightlife. It is a lot more fun to stay in Tamarindo since there are more people.
You should stay in Langosta if you prefer quiet, less people and are renting a car. Great for big groups and families who want an all inclusive or want to rent a luxury house (aka mansion).
Read about other beaches in Guanacaste below!
Avellanas: Very nice surfing beach with long breaks. About 25 minutes from Langosta
Flamingo: White sand beach with a luxury community, marina, excellent fishing and scuba diving. About 20 minutes from Langosta.
Playa Pelada: Beautiful white sand beach in Nosara, about 2 hours south of Langosta
Negra: Nice laid back surfing beach about 35 minutes from Langosta
Samara: Great family friendly beach town about 1.5 hours south of Langosta
Sugar Beach: Secluded beach near Las Catalinas
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Julie Seaborn says
Hello! Going back to Costa Rica for our fifth time! Somewhere you mentioned a friend of yours had a boat he would take people out to cruise around and see the coast. Small boat, out of Flamingo maybe? Any tips for Puerto Jimenez appreciated too! Thanks for all your truly wonderful tips and advice!
Sammi says
Yes, we work with a boat captain out of Playa Flamingo to offer Playa Flamingo snorkeling excursions, you can click the link to read more about it and request to book.
mike says
Hello,
I love the image of “Aerial view of Playa Langosta and estuary” and I’m wondering where you got it. I’d love to get a High Quality version for myself to print out and put on my wall.
Thanks,
Mike
Sammi says
That is our own photo we took with our drone (all photos on this blog are our own, taken by us)
Steph says
Thanks for this post! My partner and I are planning on staying in Langosta next week. When we drive into Tamarindo, do you have some suggested places to park? We also plan on visiting Playa Conchal and Playa Flamingo — how are the drives to these two beaches from Langosta?
Sammi says
There’s pretty much just street parking and some random “parking lots” in Tamarindo. Road is fully paved between Flamingo to Tamarindo, then Tamarindo to Langosta has somewhat asphalted over road that’s now getting more pot holes due to the rain
Manrique Molina says
2022 Update: the road from Tamarindo to Langosta now is completely paved which makes the area feel even more luxurious. Its a quick 5 min drive from Tamarindo and actually a pleasant walk too.
Same tips still apply, park near the Occidental hotel, plenty of space on the street. Next to the hotel / apartement complex you will see am entrace path with wooden door, there is at least another one a few steps down the road.
This area is awesome for sunsets, walking on the rocks, just chilling out. Look in google for tides and time your walk with low tide in case you want to cross into the large portion of the beach.
Hope b says
Staying with friends in a Villa end of October. Concierge recommends renting golf carts for our stay as apposed to cars. We will certianly go into Tamarindo at times, it is green season, possible bad weather. Which would you recommend?
Sammi says
If you plan to go to other towns and explore, a car is best. A golf cart is fine just go get around Ocotal/coco but to go to other places, especially Tamarindo you cannot by golf cart. Also for the rain, a car is a better option.
Laura says
Thank you so much for this informative blog! I’m headed to Occidental Tamarindo on Jan 5, 2019 and looking forward to relaxing by the pool and at the beach. I will definitely check out some of your suggestions, such as the estuary near my hotel. I’m going to walk into Tamarindo to check out the town too.
I was wondering, will there be any chance to see turtles in the area at this time of year?
Also, this is my first time travelling alone. I appreciated your tips about not leaving anything unattended at the beach. How do I do them if I’m alone?
One last question, do you know of any option to get a ride to Rincon de la Vieja national parks to go hiking and to the hot springs without paying for a full tour? Maybe renting a car for the day would be easiest, although I’m a bit concerned about my navigation and driving skills.
Thank you again for your blog! It’s the best information I’ve found!
-Laura in Vancouver, Canada
Sammi says
Hi Laura, I’m glad the blog has been helpful. Turtle season is over by January, and if you want to swim at the beach, my recommendation is to give your key to the front desk so they can hold it for you, don’t bring your phone and just have towels and clothes. If you want to bring your phone, wrap it up and hide is under your towels and leave your things by other people and ask if they can also keep an eye on it. Always swim close to your belongings and always check on it.
As for getting to Rincon, the only way if you don’t have a car is to go on a tour. You can take a taxi but it’ll cost just as much as a tour anyways so you might as well book a tour. My recommendation is to rent a car, it is actually a very easy drive from Tamarindo to Rincon and takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. You can use Waze if you have data or get aCosta Rica pre-paid sim cards so you have data.
Laura says
Thank you so much for your quick and helpful reply!